User blog:Applebaby12/Dark/Howler's Past Part 3
It wasn't the first time Howler's Pack had confronted a Winding-River Pack patrol, but unfortunately, the latter Pack was losing their patience with this strange gang of lawless Lone-Wolves. They'd tried to tolerate the presence of this bold new Pack, but they had been pushing their luck for far too long. Left with no Alpha since Dark's departure, it was up to the hunters and patrol wolves to decide what they wanted to do. They knew, of course, that Howler's Pack was hungry; they could tell by the ribs that poked through their pelts. But they were hungry, too, and it wasn't fair of them to keep playing the victim. Enough was enough. They had no clue what they'd done to deserve such animosity from Howler; but if he wanted war, they'd give him war. It was clear to Howler that this conflict wouldn't end without a fight. They weren't backing off this time, and neither was he. After what these wolves had let their Alpha do to his sister, they deserved everything that was coming to them! Hawk had been hunting solo. She'd caught a mouse for one of their Packmates, Swift, who was nursing a litter of pups. Swift informed her that Howler was leading another patrol to antagonize the WInding-River Pack, letting on that he'd been more tense than before. She admitted that she was worried something bad would happened, and asked Hawk to go and see if everything was alright. Hawk was angry. It seemed to her that Howler had deliberately left her out of this patrol; he knew that she'd try to dissolve the conflict as she'd gotten into the habit of doing lately. Immediately she set out to put an end to what Howler was doing, even if it meant confronting him in front of their enemies. ---- After witnessing the death of her best friend, Ruthful's health had deteriorated significantly. But it wasn't several moons after Unique's drowning that she'd agreed to retire. She'd gone through too much; something had happened that traumatized her deeply, even more so than the death of Dark's mate, but she never told anyone. She was no longer fit to be a mother, losing her daughter as a result of her grief. She never left camp. Until that day. Perhaps it was just a hunch, but something in the air spelled disaster that Ice-Wind day. Something was going to happen, and she knew that if she didn't try to stop it, more deaths could be her fault. It was the worst day imaginable for a fragile, starving middle-aged wolf like her to be leaving the warmth of camp, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she had to be at the border just then. In the moons that would follow, Ruthful would be forever grateful that she listened to her gut rather than her aching bones. It may have changed the fate of her Pack forever. ---- The air was so thick with tension, anger, and hostility, Hawk could practically hear it buzzing in her ears. Howler met her gaze, and expressed his gratitude that she'd arrived. She was just in time, he told her. They were finally going to gain the one thing they wanted most. Hawk met his greeting with downright coldness. At first she tried to reason with him. He ignored him. Howler wasn't going to listen to her unless she forced him to, so that was exactly what she did. Howler did not take her confrontation well. He saw it as a challenge to his authority. Wasn't this what she wanted? Didn't she want to get revenge on this Pack for neglecting her for so many moons? Couldn't she at least see how important this was to /him,/ to finally gain closure for the death of his sister? He /needed/ to spill Winding-River Pack blood to make up for the life they'd taken from him. She could hardly believe what he was saying. Had he gone mad? Hawk was done. She couldn't take his newfound toxicity any longer. She countered that he was just as bad as the Winding-River Pack for completely ignoring her point of view and her suggestions. If she couldn't knock some sense into him, she was going to leave. Before he could respond, though, a wolf even the Winding-River Pack themselves couldn't have expected appeared. It was hard to tell at first, but Howler recognized this wolf. He knew exactly who this battered, crumpled looking she-wolf was. It was her who refused to help his sister on her deathbed; her who had decided that loyalty to her Alpha was more important than the life of Squealer. If he had to take a Winding-River Pack life, it would be her. Worst of all, Hawk also knew this wolf well, more so than Howler. Ruthful was her mother. She was shocked by Howler's recognition of her. Before blood could be drawn, though, Ruthful knew she had to face her past. It was painfully obvious to Ruthful now that Howler was Dark's son. She'd suspected it before, but now she was sure. She'd failed Dark; it was only fitting that she had failed his son, too. Howler couldn't understand what she was saying. Why was she being so cryptic? But the red mist was already beginning to fade. He could not kill any wolf, not when he needed answers. He demanded that she tell him what happened, why she had refused to help so many moons ago. Ruthful explained everything; Unique's death, Dark leaving with his pups, and the ever important rule that Packmates could never disobey their Alpha, no matter what. How could she go against Dark's orders when it was her fault that he'd gone mad? She had still been so blinded with grief, the wound was still too deep at the time. Ruthful simply couldn't think straight, frozen with fear when she saw her former Alpha again. The worst part for Howler, though, was the revelation that he was Dark's son. How could that be? How could any wolf murder their own offspring? He denied everything, told her that he didn't believe her, even though deep down he knew that he did. She was just a crazy old wolf. Hawk had finally gotten answers for why she'd been mostly ignored by her mother and the rest of the Pack. Though Ruthful hadn't expected it, her daughter was able to forgive her. They shared a few words after Howler left with the others, but ultimately Hawk decided that she wanted to stay with her new Pack for now. When they all returned home, Howler was lost. It was obvious that the fire inside him had died. His quest for vengeance had been all for nothing; it was not the fault of the Winding-River Pack as he originally believed, but instead the result of a grieving, stricken she-wolf's poor judgement. He couldn't even begin to work out how he felt about Dark. Perhaps Ruthful was mistaken, as she was clearly a very confused wolf. Not crazy, just mistaken. It had to be. And yet, that night, his worst fears were confirmed. Howler saw Seer in his dream. After all this time, he only then found out that his foster mother had been dead all along. Shockingly, Squealer was there, too. She had learned the truth, too, and now they came with a warning. Seer had been killed by Dark after she refused to tell him where his pups were living, and when he finally found them, he'd meant to murder them both, and he wasn't going to stop trying. Howler's worst enemy was still out there, and only could stop him. Howler believed them. He then spent a moon silently debating what he should do while he repaired his relationship with Hawk. She was there to support him through that confusing time, and he was shocked and touched by her capacity to forgive him. He had to make it up to her. As the snow melted and Tree-Flower begun, he was given the opportunity to. Hawk announced that she wanted to rejoin the Winding-River Pack. Though she would never forget the time she'd spent with them, it was time for her to return home. She couldn't have expected Howler to join her. To be Continued Category:Blog posts